Cat Ba Island

Cat Ba is the biggest island in the archipelago that continues southwest from Ha Long Bay, and roughly half of it is national park: limestone hills under dense forest, sinkholes and a langur found nowhere else. The southern coast faces Lan Ha Bay, a scatter of karst islets, floating fish farms and small beaches that is quieter than the main bay and much better suited to kayaking. Cat Ba town is a working harbour with a strip of hotels along the front, functional rather than pretty. Days here divide between boat trips among the islets, climbing routes on the cliffs, and walking the park trails, including a steep track up to the Ngu Lam viewpoint.

History

People have lived on Cat Ba for almost 6,000 years, the earliest settlements near today's Ben Beo harbour, and in 1938 French archaeologists found remains of the Cai Beo people of the Ha Long culture, who lived here between 4,000 and 6,500 years ago. The old name Cac Ba is said to mean women's island, from a legend of three women of the Tran dynasty whose bodies washed up on three beaches, each given a temple by the islanders; the archipelago became a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve in 2004 and part of the Ha Long Bay - Cat Ba Archipelago World Heritage Site in 2023 (Wikipedia, Cát Bà Island).

The landscape

• Lan Ha Bay - the karst islets, fish farms and swimming stops off the south coast.
• Cat Ba National Park - forest trails, sinkholes and the climb to the Ngu Lam viewpoint.
• Sea kayaking - paddling into lagoons and under arches between the limestone stacks.
• Cliff climbing - the bolted limestone routes and deep water soloing on the bay walls.

When to go

April to October is warm enough for swimming, with July and August bringing domestic holiday crowds and the highest prices. Late September to November is drier, clearer and much quieter, though the sea cools off. Storms between June and September can cancel boats for a day or two. Weekday visits are noticeably calmer than weekends.

Good to know

Cat Ba town is not attractive: a wall of concrete hotels and karaoke along the harbour, busy and loud through the summer. Beaches near town are small and can be dirty, with floating rubbish after storms. Forest trails are humid, slippery and steeper than the short distances suggest. Getting here involves at least one ferry, and the transfers eat a large part of the first day.

Nearby

Ha Long Bay adjoins to the northeast, and Hai Phong is the mainland gateway.

Key facts